Itthusliesintheverynatureofthings，thatthenumberof
theadvocatesoftheprotectivesystemmustagainincrease，and
thoseoffreetradeagaindiminish。Hitherto，thepricesof
agriculturalproducehavebeenmaintainedatanunusuallyhigh
level，owingtothepreviousprosperityofthemanufactories，
throughthecarryingoutofgreatpublicundertakings，throughthe
demandfornecessariesoflifearisingfromthegreatincreaseof
theproductionofcotton，alsopartiallythroughbadharvests。One
may，however，foreseewithcertainty，thatthesepricesinthe
courseofthenextfewyearswillfallasmuchbelowtheaverageas
theyhavehithertorangedaboveit。Thegreaterpartofthe
increaseofAmericancapitalhassincethepassingofthe
CompromiseBillbeendevotedtoagriculture，andisonlynow
beginningtobecomeproductive。Whilethusagriculturalproduction
hasunusuallyincreased，ontheotherhandthedemandforitmust
unusuallydiminish。Firstly，becausepublicworksarenomorebeing
undertakentothesameextent；secondly，becausethemanufacturing
populationinconsequenceofforeigncompetitioncannomore
increasetoanimportantextent；andthirdly，becausethe
productionofcottonsogreatlyexceedstheconsumptionthatthe
cottonplanterswillbecompelled，owingtothelowpricesof
cotton，toproduceforthemselvesthosenecessariesoflifewhich
theyhavehithertoprocuredfromtheMiddleandWesternStates。If
inadditionrichharvestsoccur，thentheMiddleandWesternStates
willagainsufferfromanexcessofproduce，astheydidbeforethe
tariffof1828。Butthesamecausesmustagainproducethesame
results；viz。theagriculturistsoftheMiddleandWesternStates
mustagainarriveattheconviction，thatthedemandfor
agriculturalproducecanonlybeincreasedbytheincreaseofthe
manufacturingpopulationofthecountry，andthatthatincreasecan
onlybebroughtaboutbyanextensionoftheprotectivesystem。
Whileinthismannerthepartisansofprotectionwilldaily
increaseinnumberandinfluence，theoppositepartywilldiminish
inlikeproportionuntilthecottonplantersundersuchaltered
circumstancesmustnecessarilycometotheconvictionthatthe
increaseofthemanufacturingpopulationofthecountryandthe
increaseofthedemandforagriculturalproduceandrawmaterials
bothconsistwiththeirowninterestsifrightlyunderstood。
Because，aswehaveshown，thecottonplantersandthe
DemocratsinNorthAmericawerestrivingmostearnestlyoftheir
ownaccordtoplayintothehandsofthecommercialinterestsof
England，noopportunitywasofferedatthemomentonthissidefor
MrPoulettThompsontodisplayhisskillincommercialdiplomacy。
MatterswerequiteinanotherpositioninFrance。Therepeople
stillsteadilyclungtotheprohibitivesystem。Therewereindeed
manyStateofficialswhoweredisciplesoftheory，andalso
deputieswhowereinfavourofanextensionofcommercialrelations
betweenEnglandandFrance，andtheexistingalliancewithEngland
hadalsorenderedthisviewtoacertainextentpopular。Buthowto
attainthatobject，opinionswerelessagreed，andinnorespect
weretheyquiteclear。Itseemedevidentandalsoindisputablethat
thehighdutiesontheforeignnecessariesoflifeandraw
materials，andtheexclusionofEnglishcoalandpig-iron，operated
verydisadvantageouslytoFrenchindustry，andthatanincreasein
theexportsofwines，brandy，andsilkfabricswouldbeextremely
advantageoustoFrance。
Ingeneral，peopleconfinedthemselvestouniversaldeclamation
againstthedisadvantagesoftheprohibitivesystem。Buttoattack
thisinspecialcasesdidnotappearatthetimetobeatall
advisable。FortheGovernmentofJulyhadtheirstrongest
supportersamongtherichbourgeoisie，whoforthemostpartwere
interestedinthegreatmanufacturingundertakings。
UnderthesecircumstancesMrPoulettThompsonformedaplanof
operationswhichdoesallhonourtohisbreadthofthoughtand
diplomaticadroitness。HesenttoFranceamanthoroughlyversedin
commerceandindustryandinthecommercialpolicyofFrance，well
knownforhis\'liberalsentiments\'alearnedmanandavery
accomplishedwriter，DrBowring，whotravelledthroughthewholeof
France，andsubsequentlythroughSwitzerlandalso，togatheronthe
spotmaterialsforargumentsagainsttheprohibitivesystemandin
favouroffreetrade。DrBowringaccomplishedthistaskwithhis
accustomedabilityandadroitness。Especiallyheclearlyindicated
thebefore-mentionedadvantagesofafreercommercialintercourse
betweenthetwocountriesinrespectofcoal，pig-iron，wines，and
brandies。Inthereportwhichhepublished，hechieflyconfinedhis
argumentstothesearticles；inreferencetotheotherbranchesof
industryheonlygavestatistics，withoutcommittinghimselfto
proofsorpropositionshowthesecouldbepromotedbymeansoffree
tradewithEngland。
DrBowringactedinpreciseaccordancewiththeinstructions
giventohimbyMrPoulettThompson，whichwereframedwith
uncommonartandsubtlety，andwhichappearattheheadofhis
report。IntheseMrThompsonmakesuseofthemostliberal
expressions。Heexpresseshimself，withmuchconsiderationforthe
Frenchmanufacturinginterests，ontheimprobabilitythatany
importantresultwastobeexpectedfromthecontemplated
negotiationswithFrance。Thisinstructionwasperfectlyadapted
forcalmingtheapprehensionsrespectingtheviewsofEngland
entertainedbytheFrenchwoollenandcottonmanufacturing
interestswhichhadbecomesopowerful。AccordingtoMrThompson，
itwouldbefollytoaskforimportantconcessionsrespecting
these。
Ontheotherhand，hegivesahinthowtheobjectmightmore
easilybeattainedinrespectof\'lessimportantarticles。\'These
lessimportantarticlesarecertainlynotenumeratedinthe
instruction，butthesubsequentexperienceofFrancehascompletely
broughttolightwhatMrThompsonmeantbyit，foratthetimeof
thewritingofthisinstructiontheexportsoflinenyarnandlinen
fabricsofEnglandtoFrancewereincludedintheterm\'less
important。\'
TheFrenchGovernment，movedbytherepresentationsand
explanationsoftheEnglishGovernmentanditsagents，andwiththe
intentionofmakingtoEnglandacomparativelyunimportant
concession，whichwouldultimatelyproveadvantageoustoFrance
herself，loweredthedutyonlinenyarnandlinenfabricstosuch
anextentthattheynolongergaveanyprotectiontoFrench
industryinfaceofthegreatimprovementswhichtheEnglishhad
madeinthesebranchesofmanufacture，sothateveninthenextfew
yearstheexportofthesearticlesfromEnglandtoFranceincreased
enormously1838，32，000，000francs；andthatFrancestoodin
danger，owingtothestartwhichEnglandhadthusobtained，of
losingitsentirelinenindustry，amountingtomanyhundred
millionsinvalue，whichwasofthegreatestimportanceforher
agricultureandforthewelfareofherentireruralpopulation，
unlessmeanscouldbefoundtoputacheckontheEnglish
competitionbyincreasingtheduties。
ThatFrancewasdupedbyMrPoulettThompsonwasclearenough。
Hehadalreadyclearlyseenintheyear1834whatanimpulsethe
linenmanufactureofEnglandwouldreceiveinthenextfewyearsin
consequenceofthenewinventionswhichhadbeenmadethere，andin
thisnegotiationhehadcalculatedontheignoranceoftheFrench
Governmentrespectingtheseinventionsandtheirnecessary
consequences。Theadvocatesofthisloweringofdutiesnowindeed
endeavouredtomaketheworldbelievethatbyittheyonlydesired
tomakeaconcessiontothebelgianlinenmanufactures。Butdid
thatmakeamendsfortheirlackofacquaintancewiththeadvances
madebytheEnglish，andtheirlackofforesightastothe
necessaryconsequences？
Bethatasitmay，thismuchisclearlydemonstrated，thatit
wasnecessaryforFrancetoprotectherselfstillmore，under
penaltyoflosingthegreaterpartofherlinenmanufacturingfor
thebenefitofEngland；andthatthefirstandmostrecent
experimentoftheincreaseoffreedomoftradebetweenEnglandand
FranceremainsasanindeliblememorialofEnglishcraftandof
Frenchinexperience，asanewMethuenTreaty，asasecondEden
Treaty。ButwhatdidMrPoulettThompsondowhenheperceivedthe
complaintsoftheFrenchlinenmanufacturersandtheinclinationof
theFrenchGovernmenttorepairthemistakewhichhadbeenmade？He
didwhatMrHuskissonhaddonebeforehim，heindulgedinthreats，
hethreatenedtoexcludeFrenchwinesandsilkfabrics。Thisis
Englishcosmopolitanism。Francemustgiveupamanufacturing
industryofathousandyears\'standing，boundupintheclosest
mannerwiththeentireeconomyofherlowerclassesandespecially
withheragriculture，theproductsofwhichmustbereckonedas
chiefnecessariesoflifeforallclasses，andoftheentireamount
ofbetweenthreeandfourhundredmillions，inordertherebyto
purchasetheprivilegeofexportingtoEnglandsomefewmillions
moreinvalueofwinesandsilkmanufactures。Quiteapartfromthis
disproportioninvalue，itmustbeconsideredinwhataposition
Francewouldbeplacedifthecommercialrelationsbetweenboth
nationsbecameinterruptedinconsequenceofawar；incaseviz。
thatFrancecouldnomoreexporttoEnglandhersurplusproductsof
silkmanufacturesandwines，butatthesametimesufferedfromthe
wantofsuchanimportantnecessaryoflifeaslinen。
Ifanyonereflectsonthishewillseethatthelinenquestion
isnotsimplyaquestionofeconomicalwell-being，but，as
everythingiswhichconcernsthenationalmanufacturingpower，is
stillmoreaquestionoftheindependenceandpowerofthenation。
Itseemsindeedasifthespiritofinventionhadsetitself
thetask，inthisperfectingofthelinenmanufacture，tomakethe
nationscomprehendthenatureofthemanufacturinginterest，its
relationswithagriculture，anditsinfluenceontheindependence
andpoweroftheState，andtoexposetheerroneousargumentsof
thepopulartheory。Theschoolmaintains，asiswellknown，that
everynationpossessesspecialadvantagesinvariousbranchesof
production，whichshehaseitherderivedfromnature，orwhichshe
haspartlyacquiredinthecourseofhercareer，andwhichunder
freetradecompensateoneanother。Wehaveinapreviouschapter
adducedproofthatthisargumentisonlytrueinreferenceto
agriculture，inwhichproductiondependsforthemostparton
climateandonthefertilityofthesoil，butthatitisnottrue
inrespecttomanufacturingindustry，forwhichallnations
inhabitingtemperateclimateshaveequalcapabilityprovidedthat
theypossessthenecessarymaterial，mental，social，andpolitical
qualifications。Englandatthepresentdayoffersthemoststriking
proofofthis。Ifanynationswhateverarespeciallyadaptedby
theirpastexperienceandexertions，andthroughtheirnatural
qualifications，forthemanufactureoflinen，thosearethe
Germans，thebelgians，theDutch，andtheinhabitantsoftheNorth
ofFranceforathousandyearspast。TheEnglish，ontheother
hand，uptothemiddleofthelastcentury，hadnotoriouslymade
suchsmallprogressinthatindustry，thattheyimportedagreat
proportionofthelinenwhichtheyrequired，fromabroad。Itwould
neverhavebeenpossibleforthem，withoutthedutiesbywhichthey
continuouslyprotectedthismanufacturingindustry，eventosupply
theirownmarketsandcolonieswithlinenoftheirownmanufacture。
AnditiswellknownhowLordsCastlereaghandLiverpooladduced
proofinParliament，thatwithoutprotectionitwasimpossiblefor
theIrishlinenmanufacturestosustaincompetitionwiththoseof
Germany。Atpresent，however，weseehowtheEnglishthreatento
monopolisethelinenmanufactureofthewholeofEurope，in
consequenceoftheirinventions，notwithstandingthattheywerefor
ahundredyearstheworstmanufacturersoflineninallEurope，
justastheyhavemonopolisedforthelastfiftyyearsthecotton
marketsoftheEastIndies，notwithstandingthatonehundredyears
previouslytheycouldnotevencompeteintheirownmarketwiththe
Indiancottonmanufacturers。Atthismomentitisamatterof
disputeinFrancehowithappensthatEnglandhaslatelymadesuch
immenseprogressinthemanufactureoflinen，althoughNapoleonwas
thefirstwhoofferedsuchagreatrewardfortheinventionofa
machineforspinningcotton，andthattheFrenchmachinistsand
manufacturershadbeenengagedinthistradebeforetheEnglish。
TheinquiryismadewhethertheEnglishortheFrenchpossessed
moremechanicaltalent。Allkindsofexplanationsareoffered
exceptthetrueandthenaturalone。Itisabsurdtoattribute
speciallytotheEnglishgreatermechanicaltalent，orgreater
skillandperseveranceinindustry，thantotheGermansortothe
French。BeforethetimeofEdwardIIItheEnglishwerethegreatest
bulliesandgood-for-nothingcharactersinEurope；certainlyit
neveroccurredtothemtocomparethemselveswiththeItaliansand
BelgiansorwiththeGermansinrespecttomechanicaltalentor
industrialskill；butsincethentheirGovernmenthastakentheir
educationinhand，andthustheyhavebydegreesmadesuchprogress
thattheycandisputethepalmofindustrialskillwiththeir
instructors。IftheEnglishinthelasttwentyyearshavemademore
rapidprogressinmachineryforlinenmanufacturethanother
nations，andespeciallytheFrench，havedone，thishasonly
occurredbecause，firstly，theyhadattainedgreatereminencein
mechanicalskill；secondly，thattheywerefurtheradvancedin
machineryforspinningandweavingcotton，whichissosimilarto
thatforspinningandweavinglinen；thirdly，thatinconsequence
oftheirpreviouscommercialpolicy，theyhadbecomepossessedof
morecapitalthantheFrench；fourthly，thatinconsequenceofthat
commercialpolicytheirhomemarketforlinengoodswasfarmore
extensivethanthatoftheFrench；andlastlythattheirprotective
duties，combinedwiththecircumstancesabovenamed，affordedto
themechanicaltalentofthenationgreaterstimulusandmoremeans
todevoteitselftoperfectingthisbranchofindustry。
TheEnglishhavethusgivenastrikingconfirmationofthe
opinionswhichweinanotherplacehavepropoundedandexplained——
thatallindividualbranchesofindustryhavetheclosest
reciprocaleffectononeanother；thattheperfectingofonebranch
preparesandpromotestheperfectingofallothers；thatnooneof
themcanbeneglectedwithouttheeffectsofthatneglectbeing
feltbyall；that，inshort，thewholemanufacturingpowerofa
nationconstitutesaninseparablewhole。Oftheseopinionsthey
havebytheirlatestachievementsinthelinenindustryoffereda
strikingconfirmation。
NOTES：
1。EvenapartoftheproductionofwoolinEnglandisduetothe
observanceofthismaxim。EdwardIVimportedunderspecial
privileges3，000headofsheepfromSpainwheretheexportof
sheepwasprohibited，anddistributedthemamongvariousparishes，
withacommandthatforsevenyearsnoneweretobeslaughteredor
castrated。EssaisurleCommerced\'Angleterre，tomei。p。379。As
soonastheobjectofthesemeasureshadbeenattained，England
rewardedtheSpanishGovernmentforthespecialprivilegesgranted
bythelatter，byprohibitingtheimportofSpanishwool。The
efficacyofthisprohibitionhoweverunjustitmaybedeemedcan
aslittlebedeniedasthatoftheprohibitionsoftheimportof
woolbyCharlesII1672and1674。
2。France，saidPitt，hasadvantagesaboveEnglandinrespectof
climateandothernaturalgifts，andthereforeexcelsEnglandin
itsrawproduce；ontheotherhand，Englandhastheadvantageover
Franceinitsartificialproducts。Thewines，brandies，oils，and
vinegarsofFrance，especiallythefirsttwo，articlesofsuch
importanceandofsuchvalue，thatthevalueofournatural
productscannotbeintheleastcomparedwiththem。But，onthe
otherhand，itisequallycertainthatEnglandistheexclusive
producerofsomekindsofmanufacturedgoods，andthatinrespect
ofotherkindsshepossessessuchadvantagesthatshecandefy
withoutdoubtallthecompetitionofFrance。Thisisareciprocal
conditionandabasisonwhichanadvantageouscommercialtreaty
betweenbothnationsshouldbefounded。Aseachofthemhasits
peculiarstaplecommodities，andeachpossessesthatwhichis
lackingtotheother，sobothshoulddealwithoneanotherliketwo
greatmerchantswhoareengagedindifferentbranchesoftrade，and
byareciprocalexchangeoftheirgoodscanatoncebecomeuseful
tooneanother。Letusfurtheronlycalltomindonthispointthe
wealthofthecountywithwhichwestandinthepositionof
neighbours，itsgreatpopulation，itsvicinitytous，andthe
consequentquickandregularexchange。Whocouldthenhesitatea
momenttogivehisapprovaltothesystemoffreedom，andwhowould
notearnestlyandimpatientlywishfortheutmostpossible
expeditioninestablishingit？Thepossessionofsuchanextensive
andcertainmarketmustgivequiteanextraordinaryimpulsetoour
trade，andthecustomsrevenuewhichwouldthenbedivertedfrom
thehandsofthesmugglerintotheStaterevenuewouldbenefitour
finances，andthustwomainspringsofBritishwealthandof
Britishpowerwouldbemademoreproductive。
3。SinceListwrotetheselines，thedutieswhichforeignsilk
manufacturershadtopayontheimportoftheirgoodsintoEngland
havebeentotallyabolished。Theresultsoftheirabolitionmaybe
learnedfromMrWardle\'sreportontheEnglishsilktrade，as
follows：London，in1825，contained24，000loomsand60，000
operativesengagedinsilkmanufacture。Atthepresenttimethese
havedwindledto1，200loomsandlessthen4，000operatives。In
Coventry，in1861，theribbontradeisstatedtohavegiven
subsistenceto40，600persons；whileatthepresenttimeprobably
notmorethan10，000personsaresupportedbyit，andthe
power-loomsatworkinCoventryhavedecreasedfrom1，800to600。
InDerbythenumberofoperativesemployedinsilkmanufacturehas
decreasedfrom6，650in1850to2，400atpresent。Inthe
Congletondistricttheyhavedecreasedfrom5，186in1860to
1，530in1884；whileofthefortysilk-throwsters\'workswhich
thatdistrictcontainedin1859onlytwelvenowremain，with
\'aboutthree-fourthsoftheirmachineryemployed。\'InManchester
thistradehaspracticallydiedout，whileatMiddletonthe
industryis\'simplyruined。\'TheseresultsstatedbyMrWardle
mayaccountforthedecreaseinEngland\'simportsofrawsilk，from
8，000，000poundsin1871tolessthan3，000，000pounds。
Ontheotherhand，sinceListwrote，theUnitedStatesof
Americahaveincreasedandsteadilymaintainedaconsiderable
protectivedutyontheimportationofforeignsilkmanufactures。
TheresultsofthatpolicywerepubliclystatedbyMrRobertP。
PortermemberoftheUnitedStates\'TariffCommission，ina
speechin1883，tohavebeenasfollows：
Fivethousandpersonswereemployedinsilkmanufactureinthe
UnitedStatesbeforetheMorilltariff1861。In1880theirnumber
hadincreasedto30，000。Thevalueofsilkmanufacturesproducedin
theStatesincreasedfrom1，200，000l。in1860tomorethan
8，000，000l。in1880。\'Yetthecostofthemanufacturedgoodsto
theconsumer，estimatedonagoldbasis，hassteadilydeclinedat
amuchgreaterratethanthecostoftherawmaterial。\'After
referencetotheearthenwareandplate-glassmanufactures，Mr
Porteradds：\'ThetestimonybeforetheTariffCommissionshowed
unquestionablythatthecompetitionintheUnitedStateshad
resultedinareductioninthecosttotheAmericanconsumer。In
thisway，gentlemen，Icontend，andampreparedtoprove
statistically。thatprotection，sofarastheUnitedStatesare
concerned，hasineverycaseultimatelybenefitedtheconsumer；and
onthisgroundIdefenditandbelieveinit。\'——TRANSLATOR。
4。Chaptal，Del\'IndustrieFran鏰isevol。ii。，p。147。
Chapter34
TheInsularSupremacyandtheGermanCommercialUnion
Whatagreatnationisatthepresentdaywithoutavigorous
commercialpolicy，andwhatshemaybecomebytheadoptionofa
vigorouscommercialpolicy，Germanyhaslearntforherselfduring
thelasttwentyyears。GermanywasthatwhichFranklinoncesaidof
theStateofNewJersey，\'acaskwhichwastappedanddrainedby
itsneighboursoneveryside。\'England，notcontentedwithhaving
ruinedfortheGermansthegreaterpartoftheirownmanufactories
andsuppliedthemwithenormousquantitiesofcottonandwoollen
fabrics，excludedfromherportsGermangrainandtimber，nayfrom
timetotimealsoevenGermanwool。Therewasatimewhenthe
exportofmanufacturedgoodsfromEnglandtoGermanywastentimes
greaterthanthattoherhighlyextolledEastIndianEmpire。
Neverthelesstheall-monopolisingislanderswouldnotevengrantto
thepoorGermanswhattheyconcededtotheconqueredHindoos，viz。
topayforthemanufacturedgoodswhichtheyrequiredby
agriculturalproduce。InvaindidtheGermanshumblethemselvesto
thepositionofhewersofwoodanddrawersofwaterforthe
Britons。Thelattertreatedthemworsethanasubjectpeople。
Nations，likeindividuals，iftheyatfirstonlypermitthemselves
tobeill-treatedbyone，soonbecomescornedbyall，andfinally
becomeanobjectofderisiontotheverychildren。France，not
contentedwithexportingtoGermanyenormousquantitiesofwine，
oil，silk，andmillinery，grudgedtheGermanstheirexportsof
cattle，grain，andflax；yes，evenasmallmaritimeprovince
formerlypossessedbyGermanyandinhabitedbyGermans，which
havingbecomewealthyandpowerfulbymeansofGermany，atall
timeswasonlyabletomaintainitselfwithandbymeansof
Germany，barredforhalfagenerationGermany\'sgreatestriverby
meansofcontemptibleverbalquibbles。Tofillupthemeasureof
thiscontempt，thedoctrinewastaughtfromahundredprofessorial
chairs，thatnationscouldonlyattaintowealthandpowerbymeans
ofuniversalfreetrade。Thusitwas；buthowisitnow？Germany
hasadvancedinprosperityandindustry，innationalself-respect
andinnationalpower，inthecourseoftenyearsasmuchasina
century。Andhowhasthisresultbeenachieved？Itwascertainly
goodandbeneficialthattheinternaltariffswereabolishedwhich
separatedGermansfromGermans；butthenationwouldhavederived
smallcomfortfromthatifherhomeindustryhadthenceforth
remainedfreelyexposedtoforeigncompetition。Itwasespecially
theprotectionwhichthetariffoftheZollvereinsecuredto
manufacturedarticlesofcommonuse，whichhaswroughtthis
miracle。Letusfreelyconfessit，forDrBowring1*has
incontrovertiblyshownit，thattheZollvereintariffhasnot，as
wasbeforeasserted，imposedmerelydutiesforrevenue——thatit
hasnotconfineditselftodutiesoftentofifteenpercentas
Huskissonbelieved——letusfreelyadmitthatithasimposed
protectivedutiesoffromtwentytosixtypercentasrespectsthe
manufacturedarticlesofcommonuse。
Butwhathasbeentheoperationoftheseprotectiveduties？Are
theconsumerspayingfortheirGermanmanufacturedgoodstwentyto
sixtypercentmorethantheyformerlypaidforforeignonesas
mustbethecaseifthepopulartheoryiscorrect，orarethese
goodsatallworsethantheforeignones？Nothingofthesort。Dr
Bowringhimselfadducestestimonythatthemanufacturedgoods
producedunderthehighcustomstariffarebothbetterandcheaper
thantheforeignones。2*Theinternalcompetitionandthe
securityfromdestructivecompetitionbytheforeignerhaswrought
thismiracle，ofwhichthepopularschoolknowsnothingandis
determinedtoknownothing。Thus，thatisnottrue，whichthe
popularschoolmaintains，thataprotectivedutyincreasesthe
priceofthegoodsofhomeproductionbytheamountofthe
protectiveduty。Forashorttimethedutymayincreasetheprice，
butineverynationwhichisqualifiedtocarryonmanufacturing
industrytheconsequenceoftheprotectionwillbe，thatthe
internalcompetitionwillsoonreducethepriceslowerthanthey
hadstoodatwhentheimportationwasfree。
Buthasagricultureatallsufferedunderthesehighduties？
Notintheleast；ithasgained-gainedtenfoldduringthelastten
years。Thedemandforagriculturalproducehasincreased。The
pricesofiteverywherearehigher。Itisnotoriousthatsolelyin
consequenceofthegrowthofthehomemanufactoriesthevalueof
landhaseverywhererisenfromfiftytoahundredpercent，that
everywherehigherwagesarebeingpaid，andthatinalldirections
improvementsinthemeansoftransportareeitherbeingeffectedor
projected。
Suchbrilliantresultsasthesemustnecessarilyencourageus
toproceedfartheronthesystemwhichwehavecommencedtofollow。
OtherStatesoftheUnionhavealsoproposedtotakesimilarsteps，
buthavenotyetcarriedthemintoeffect；while，asitwould
appear，someotherStatesoftheUniononlyexpecttoattain
prosperitysolelybytheabolitionoftheEnglishdutiesongrain
andtimber，andwhileasitisallegedtherearestilltobe
foundinfluentialmenwhobelieveinthecosmopoliticalsystemand
distrusttheirownexperience。DrBowring\'sreportgivesusmost
importantexplanationsonthesepointsaswellasonthe
circumstancesoftheGermanCommercialUnionandthetacticsofthe
EnglishGovernment。Letusendeavourtothrowalittlelighton
thisreport。
Firstofall，wehavetoconsiderthepointofviewfromwhich
itwaswritten。MrLabouchere，PresidentoftheboardofTrade
undertheMelbourneMinistry，hadsentDrBowringtoGermanyfor
thesamepurposeasthatforwhichMrPoulettThompsonhadsenthim
toFranceintheyear1834。Justasitwasintendedtomisleadthe
Frenchbyconcessionsinrespectofwinesandbrandiestoopen
theirhomemarkettoEnglishmanufacturedgoods，soitwasintended
tomisleadtheGermanstodothesamebyconcessionsinrespectof
grainandtimber；onlytherewasagreatdifferencebetweenthetwo
missionsinthisrespect，thattheconcessionwhichwastobe
offeredtotheFrenchhadtofearnooppositioninEngland，while
thatwhichhadtobeofferedtotheGermanshadfirsttobefought
forinEnglandherself。
Hencethetendencyofthesetworeportswasofnecessityof
quiteadifferentcharacter。Thereportonthecommercialrelations
betweenFranceandEnglandwaswrittenexclusivelyfortheFrench；
tothemitwasnecessarytorepresentthatColberthadaccomplished
nothingsatisfactorythroughhisprotectiveregulations；itwas
necessarytomakepeoplebelievethattheEdenTreatywas
beneficialtoFrance，andthatNapoleon\'sContinentalsystem，as
wellasthethenexistingFrenchprohibitivesystem，hadbeen
extremelyinjurioustoher。Inshort，inthiscaseitwasnecessary
tostickcloselytothetheoryofAdamSmith；andthegoodresults
oftheprotectivesystemmustbecompletelyandunequivocally
denied。Thetaskwasnotquitesosimplewiththeotherreport，for
inthis，onehadtoaddresstheEnglishland-ownersandtheGerman
Governmentsatoneandthesametime。Totheformeritwas
necessarytosay：See，thereisanationwhichhasalreadyin
consequenceofprotectiveregulationsmadeenormousadvancesinher
industry，andwhich，inpossessionofallnecessarymeansfordoing
so，ismakingrapidstepstomonopoliseherownhomemarketandto
competewithEnglandinforeignmarkets。This，youToriesinthe
HouseofLords——this，youcountrysquiresintheHouseof
Commons，isyourwickeddoing。Thishasbeenbroughtaboutbyyour
unwisecornlaws；forbythemthepricesofprovisionsandraw
materialsandthewagesoflabourhavebeenkeptlowinGermany。By
themtheGermanmanufactorieshavebeenplacedinanadvantageous
positioncomparedtotheEnglishones。Makehaste，therefore，you
fools，toabolishthesecornlaws。Bythatmeansyouwilldoubly
andtreblydamagetheGermanmanufactories：firstly，becausethe
pricesofprovisionsandrawmaterialsandthewagesoflabourwill
beraisedinGermanyandloweredinEngland；secondly，becauseby
theexportofGermangraintoEnglandtheexportofEnglish
manufacturedgoodstoGermanywillbepromoted；thirdly，because
theGermanCommercialUnionhasdeclaredthatitisdisposedto
reducetheirdutiesoncommoncottonandwoollengoodsinthesame
proportioninwhichEnglandfacilitatestheimportofGermangrain
andtimber。ThusweBritonscannotfailoncemoretocrushthe
Germanmanufactories。Butthequestioncannotwait。Everyyearthe
manufacturinginterestsaregaininggreaterinfluenceintheGerman
Union；andifyoudelay，thenyourcorn-lawabolitionwillcometoo
late。Itwillnotbelongbeforethebalancewillturn。Verysoon
theGermanmanufactorieswillcreatesuchagreatdemandfor
agriculturalproducethatGermanywillhavenomoresurpluscornto
selltoforeigncountries。Whatconcessions，then，areyouwilling
tooffertotheGermanGovernmentstoinducethemtolayhandson
theirownmanufactoriesinordertohinderthemfromspinning
cottonforthemselves，andfromencroachinguponyourforeign
marketsinaddition？
Allthisthewriterofthereportwascompelledtomakeclear
tothelandownersinParliament。TheformsoftheBritishState
administrationpermitnosecretGovernmentreports。DrBowring\'s
reportmustbepublished，mustthereforebeseenbytheGermansin
translationsandextracts。Henceonemustusenoexpressionswhich
mightleadtheGermanstoaperceptionoftheirtrueinterests。
Thereforetoeverymethodwhichwasadaptedtoinfluence
Parliament，anantidotemustbeaddedfortheuseoftheGerman
Governments。Itmustbealleged，thatinconsequenceofthe
protectivesystemmuchGermancapitalhadbeendivertedinto
improperchannels。TheagriculturalinterestsofGermanywouldbe
damagedbytheprotectivesystem。Thatinterestforitspartought
onlytoturnitsattentiontoforeignmarkets；agriculturewasin
Germanybyfarthemostimportantproductiveindustry，for
three-fourthsoftheinhabitantsofGermanywereengagedinit。It
wasmerenonsensetotalkaboutprotectionfortheproducers；the
manufacturinginterestitselfcouldonlythriveunderforeign
competition：publicopinioninGermanydesiredfreedomoftrade。
IntelligenceinGermanywastoouniversalforadesireforhigh
dutiestobeentertained。Themostenlightenedmeninthecountry
wereinfavourofareductionofdutiesoncommonwoollenand
cottonfabrics，incasetheEnglishdutiesoncornandtimberwere
reduced。
Inshort，inthisreporttwoentirelydifferentvoicesspeak，
whichcontradictoneanotherliketwoopponents。Whichofthetwo
mustbedeemedthetrueone-thatwhichspeakstotheParliament，or
thatwhichspeakstotheGermanGovernments？Thereisnodifficulty
indecidingthispoint，foreverythingwhichDrBowringadducesin
ordertoinduceParliamenttolowertheimportdutiesongrainand
timberissupportedbystatisticalfacts，calculations，and
evidence；whileeverythingthatheadducestodissuadetheGerman
Governmentsfromtheprotectivesystemisconfinedtomere
superficialassertions。
LetusconsiderindetailtheargumentsbywhichDrBowring
provestotheParliamentthatincaseacheckisnotputtothe
progressoftheGermanprotectivesysteminthewaywhichhe
pointedout，theGermanmarketformanufacturedgoodsmustbecome
irrecoverablylosttoEngland。
TheGermanpeopleisremarkable，saysDrBowring，for
temperance，thrift，industry，andintelligence，andenjoysasystem
ofuniversaleducation。Excellentpolytechnicschoolsdiffuse
technicalinstructionthroughouttheentirecountry。
Theartofdesignisespeciallymuchmorecultivatedtherethan
inEngland。Thegreatannualincreaseofitspopulation，ofits
headofcattle，andespeciallyofsheep，proveswhatprogress
agriculturetherehasachieved。Thereportmakesnomentionofthe
improvementinthevalueofproperty，thoughthatisanimportant
feature，noroftheincreaseinthevalueofproduce。Thewagesof
labourhaverisenthirtypercentinthemanufacturingdistricts。
Thecountrypossessesagreatamountofwaterpower，asyetunused，
whichisthecheapestofallmotivepowers。Itsminingindustryis
everywhereflourishing，morethanatanyprevioustime。From1832
upto1837theimportsofrawcottonhaveincreasedfrom118，000
centnersto240，000centners；theimportsofcottonyarnfrom
172，000centnersto322，000centners；theexportsofcottonfabrics
from26，000centnersto75，000centners；thenumberof
cotton-weavingloomsinPrussiafrom22，000in1825to32，000in
1834；theimportsofrawwoolfrom99，000centnersto195，000
centners；theexportsofthesamefrom100，000centnersto122，000
centners；theimportsofwoollenarticlesfrom15，000centnersto
18，000centners；theexportsofthesamefrom49，000centnersto
69，000centners。
Themanufactureoflinenclothscontendswithdifficulty
againstthehighdutiesinEngland，France，andItalyandhasnot
increased。Ontheotherhand，theimportsoflinenyarnhave
increasedfrom30，000centnersin1832to86，000centnersin1835，
chieflythroughtheimportsfromEngland，whicharestill
increasing。Theconsumptionofindigoincreasedfrom12，000
centnersin1831to24，000centnersin1837；astrikingproofof
theprogressofGermanindustry。Theexportsofpotteryhavebeen
morethandoubledfrom1832to1836。Theimportsofstonewarehave
diminishedfrom5，000centnersto2，000centners，andtheexports
ofitincreasedfrom4，000centnersto18，000centners。Theimports
ofporcelainhavediminishedfrom4，000centnersto1，000centners，
andtheexportsofithaveincreasedfrom700centnersto4，000
centners。Theoutputofcoalhasincreasedfrom6，000，000Prussian
tonsin1832to9，000，000in1836。In1816therewere8，000，000
sheepinPrussia；andin1837，15，000，000。
InSaxonyin1831therewere14，000stocking-weavingmachines；
in2836，20，000。From1831to1837，thenumberofmanufactoriesfor
spinningwoollenyarnandofspindleshadincreasedinSaxonyto
morethandoubletheirpreviousnumber。Everywheremachine
manufactorieshadarisen，andmanyofthesewereinthemost
flourishingcondition。
Inshort，inallbranchesofindustry，inproportionasthey
havebeenprotected，Germanyhasmadeenormousadvances，especially
inwoollenandcottongoodsforcommonuse，theimportationof
whichfromEnglandhadentirelyceased。AtthesametimeDrBowring
admits，inconsequenceofatrustworthyopinionwhichhadbeen
expressedtohim，\'thatthepriceofthePrussianstuffswas
decidedlylowerthanthatoftheEnglish；thatcertainlyinrespect
ofsomeofthecolourstheywereinferiortothebestEnglish
tints，butthatotherswereperfectandcouldnotbesurpassed；
thatinspinning，weaving，andallpreparatoryprocesses，the
GermangoodswerefullyequaltotheBritish，butonlyinthe
finishadistinctinferioritymightbeobserved，butthatthewant
ofthiswoulddisappearafteralittletime。\'
Itisveryeasytounderstandhowbymeansofsuch
representationsasthesetheEnglishParliamentmayatlengthbe
inducedtoabandonitscornlaws，whichhavehithertooperatedas
aprotectivesystemtoGermany。Butitappearstousutterly
incomprehensiblehowtheGermanUnion，whichhasmadesuchenormous
advancesinconsequenceoftheprotectivesystem，shouldbeinduced
bythisreporttodepartfromasystemwhichhasyieldedthemsuch
excellentresults。
ItisverywellforDrBowringtoassureusthatthehome
industryofGermanyisbeingprotectedattheexpenseofthe
agriculturists。Buthowcanweattachanycredencetohis
assurance，whenwesee，onthecontrary，thatthedemandfor
agriculturalproduce，pricesofproduce，thewagesoflabour，the
rents，thevalueofproperty，haveeverywhereconsiderablyrisen，
withouttheagriculturisthavingtopaymorethanhedidbeforefor
themanufacturedgoodswhichherequires？
ItisverywellforDrBowringtogiveusanestimateshowing
thatinGermanythreepersonsareengagedinagriculturetoevery
oneinmanufactures，butthatstatementconvincesusthatthe
numberofGermansengagedinmanufacturingisnotyetinproper
proportiontothenumberofGermanagriculturists。Andwecannot
seebywhatothermeansthisdisproportioncanbeequalised，than
byincreasingtheprotectiononthosebranchesofmanufacturewhich
arestillcarriedoninEnglandforthesupplyoftheGermanmarket
bypersonswhoconsumeEnglishinsteadofGermanagricultural
produce。ItisallverywellforDrBowringtoassertthatGerman
agriculturemustonlydirectitsattentiontoforeigncountriesif
itdesirestoincreaseitssaleofproduce；butthatagreatdemand
foragriculturalproducecanonlybeattainedbyaflourishinghome
manufacturingpoweristaughtusnotalonebytheexperienceof
England，butDrBowringhimselfimplicitlyadmitsthis，bythe
apprehensionwhichheexpressesinhisreport，thatifEngland
delaysforsometimetoabolishhercornlaws，Germanywillthen
havenosurplusofeithercornortimbertoselltoforeign
countries。
DrBowringiscertainlyrightwhenheassertsthatthe
agriculturalinterestinGermanyisstillthepredominantone，but
justfortheveryreasonthatitispredominantitmustaswehave
showninformerchapters，bypromotingthemanufacturing
interests，seektoplaceitselfinajustproportionwiththem，
becausetheprosperityofagriculturedependsonitsbeinginequal
proportionwiththemanufacturinginterest，butnotonitsown
preponderanceoverit。
Further，theauthorofthereportappearstobeutterlysteeped
inerrorwhenhemaintainsthatforeigncompetitioninGerman
marketsisnecessaryfortheGermanmanufacturinginterestitself，
becausetheGermanmanufacturers，assoonastheyareinaposition
tosupplytheGermanmarkets，mustcompetewiththemanufacturers
ofothercountriesforthedisposaloftheirsurplusproduce，which
competitiontheycanonlysustainbymeansofcheapproduction。But
cheapproductionwillnotconsistwiththeexistenceofthe
protectivesystem，inasmuchastheobjectofthatsystemisto
securehigherpricestothemanufacturers。
Thisargumentcontainsasmanyerrorsandfalsehoodsaswords。
DrBowringcannotdenythatthemanufacturercanofferhisproducts
atcheaperprices，themoreheisenabledtomanufacture——that，
therefore，amanufacturingPowerwhichexclusivelypossessesits
homemarketcanworksomuchthecheaperforforeigntrade。The
proofofthishecanfindinthesametableswhichhehaspublished
ontheadvancesmadebyGermanindustry；forinthesameproportion
inwhichtheGermanmanufactorieshaveacquiredpossessionoftheir
ownhomemarket，theirexportofmanufacturedgoodshasalso
increased。ThustherecentexperienceofGermany，liketheancient
experienceofEngland，showsusthathighpricesofmanufactured
goodsarebynomeansanecessaryconsequenceofprotection。
Finally，Germanindustryisstillveryfarfromentirely
supplyingherhomemarket。Inordertodothat，shemustfirst
manufactureforherselfthe13，000centnersofcottonfabrics，the
18，000centnersofwoollenfabrics，the500，000centnersofcotton
yarn，thread，andlinenyarn，whichatpresentareimportedfrom
England。If，however，sheaccomplishesthat，shewillthenimport
500，000centnersmorerawcottonthanbefore，bywhichshewill
carryonsomuchthemoredirectexchangetradewithtropical
countries，andbeabletopayforthegreaterpartifnotthewhole
ofthatrequirementwithherownmanufacturedgoods。
Wemustcorrecttheviewoftheauthorofthereport，that
publicopinioninGermanyisinfavouroffreetrade，bystating
thatsincetheestablishmentoftheCommercialUnionpeoplehave
acquiredaclearerperceptionofwhatitisthatEnglandusually
understandsbytheterm\'freetrade，\'for，ashehimselfsays，
\'SincethatperiodthesentimentsoftheGermanpeoplehavebeen
divertedfromtheregionofhopeandoffantasytothatoftheir
actualandmaterialinterests。\'Theauthorofthereportisquite
rightwhenhesaysthatintelligenceisverygreatlydiffused
amongsttheGermanpeople，butforthatveryreasonpeoplein
Germanyhaveceasedtoindulgeincosmopoliticaldreams。People
herenowthinkforthemselves——theytrusttheirownconclusions，
theirownexperience，theirownsoundcommonsense，morethan
one-sidedsystemswhichareopposedtoallexperience。Theybegin
tocomprehendwhyitwasthatBurkedeclaredinconfidencetoAdam
Smith\'thatanationmustnotbegovernedaccordingto
cosmopoliticalsystems，butaccordingtoknowledgeoftheirspecial
nationalinterestsacquiredbydeepresearch。\'PeopleinGermany
distrustcounsellorswhoblowbothcoldandhotoutofthesame
mouth。Peopleknowalsohowtoestimateattheirpropervaluethe
interestsandtheadviceofthosewhoareourindustrial
competitors。Finally，peopleinGermanybearinmindasoftenas
Englishoffersareunderdiscussionthewell-knownproverbofthe
presentsofferedbytheDanaidae。
FortheseveryreasonswemaydoubtthatinfluentialGerman
statesmenhaveseriouslygivengroundsforhopetotheauthorof
thereport，thatGermanyiswillingtoabandonherprotective
policyforthebenefitofEngland，inexchangeforthepitiful
concessionofpermissiontoexporttoEnglandalittlegrainand
timber。AtanyratepublicopinioninGermanywouldgreatly
hesitatetoconsidersuchstatesmentobethoughtfulones。Inorder
tomeritthattitleinGermanyinthepresentday，itisnotenough
thatamanshouldhavethoroughlylearnedsuperficialphrasesand
argumentsofthecosmopoliticalschool。Peoplerequirethata
statesmanshouldbewellacquaintedwiththepowersandthe
requirementsofthenation，and，withouttroublinghimselfwith
scholasticsystems，shoulddeveloptheformerandsatisfythe
latter。Butthatmanwouldbetrayanunfathomableignoranceof
thosepowersandwants，whodidnotknowwhatenormousexertions
arerequisitetoraiseanationalindustrytothatstagetowhich
theGermanindustryhasalreadyattained；whocannotinspirit
foreseethegreatnessofitsfuture；whocouldsogrievously
disappointtheconfidencewhichtheGermanindustrialclasseshave
reposedintheirGovernments，andsodeeplywoundthespiritof
enterpriseinthenation；whowasincapableofdistinguishing
betweentheloftypositionwhichisoccupiedbyamanufacturing
nationofthefirstrank，andtheinferiorpositionofacountry
whichmerelyexportscornandtimber；whoisnotintelligentenough
toestimatehowprecariousaforeignmarketforgrainandtimberis
eveninordinarytimes，howeasilyconcessionsofthiskindcanbe
againrevoked，andwhatconvulsionsareinvolvedinaninterruption
ofsuchatrade，occasionedbywarsorhostilecommercial
regulations；who，finally，hasnotlearnedfromtheexampleof
othergreatstateshowgreatlytheexistence，theindependence，and
thepowerofthenationdependsonitspossessionofa
manufacturingpowerofitsown，developedinallitsbranches。
Trulyonemustgreatlyunder-estimatethespiritofnationality
andofunitywhichhasariseninGermanysince1830，ifone
believed，astheauthorofthereportdoesp。26，thatthepolicy
oftheCommercialUnionwillfollowtheseparateinterestsof
Prussia，becausetwo-thirdsofthepopulationoftheUnionare
Prussian。ButPrussia\'sinterestsdemandtheexportofgrainand
timbertoEngland；theamountofhercapitaldevotedto
manufacturesisunimportant；Prussiawillthereforeopposeevery
systemwhichimpedestheimportofforeignmanufactures，andall
theheadsofdepartmentsinPrussiaareofthatopinion。
Neverthelesstheauthorofthereportsaysatthebeginningofhis
report：\'TheGermanCustomsUnionisanincarnationoftheideaof
nationalunitywhichwidelypervadesthiscountry。IfthisUnionis
wellled，itmustbringaboutthefusionofallGermaninterestsin
onecommonleague。Theexperienceofitsbenefitshasmadeit
popular。Itisthefirststeptowardsthenationalisationofthe
Germanpeople。Bymeansofthecommoninterestincommercial
questions，ithaspavedthewayforpoliticalnationality，andin
placeofnarrow-mindedviews，prejudices，andcustoms，ithaslaid
downabroaderandstrongerelementofGermannationalexistence。\'
Now，howdoestheopinionagreewiththeseperfectlytrueprefatory
observations，thatPrussiawillsacrificetheindependenceandthe
futuregreatnessofthenationtoanarrowregardtoherown
supposedbutinanycaseonlymomentaryprivateinterest——that
PrussiawillnotcomprehendthatGermanymusteitherriseorfall
withhernationalcommercialpolicy，asPrussiaherselfmustrise
orfallwithGermany？HowdoestheassertionthatthePrussian
headsofdepartmentsareopposedtotheprotectivesystem，agree
withthefactthatthehighdutiesonordinarywoollenandcotton
fabricsemanatedfromPrussiaherself？Andmustwenotbecompelled
toconjecturefromthesecontradictions，andfromthefactthatthe
authorofthereportpaintsinsuchglowingcoloursthecondition
andtheprogressoftheindustryofSaxony，thathehimselfis
desirousofexcitingtheprivatejealousyofPrussia？
Bethatasitmay，itisverystrangethatDrBowringattaches
suchgreatimportancetotheprivatestatementsofheadsof
departments，heanEnglishauthorwhooughttobewellawareofthe
powerofpublicopinion——whooughttoknowthatinourdaysthe
privateviewsofheadsofdepartmentseveninunconstitutional
statescountforverylittleiftheyareopposedtopublicopinion，
andespeciallytothematerialinterestsofthewholenation，and
iftheyfavourretrogradestepswhichendangerthewhole
nationality。Theauthorofthereportalsofeelsthiswellenough
himself，whenhestatesatpage98thatthePrussianGovernmenthas
sufficientlyexperienced，astheEnglishGovernmenthasdonein
connectionwiththeabolitionoftheEnglishcornlaws，thatthe
viewsofpublicofficialscannoteverywherebecarriedintoeffect，
thathenceitmightbenecessarytoconsiderwhetherGermangrain
andtimbershouldnotbeadmittedtotheEnglishmarketseven
withoutpreviousconcessionsonthepartoftheGermanUnion，
becausebythatverymeansthewaymightbepavedfortheadmission
oftheEnglishmanufacturedgoodsintotheGermanmarket。Thisview
isinanycaseacorrectone。DrBowringseesclearlythatthe
Germanindustrywouldneverhavebeenstrengthenedbutforthose
laws；thatconsequentlytheabolitionofthecornlawswouldnot
onlycheckthefurtheradvancesofGermanindustry，butmustcause
itagaintoretrogradegreatly，providedalwaysthatinthatcase
theGermancustomslegislationremainsunchanged。Itisonlyapity
thattheBritishdidnotperceivethesoundnessofthisargument
twentyyearsago；butnow，afterthatthelegislationofEngland
hasitselfundertakenthedivorceofGermanagriculturefrom
Englishmanufactures，afterthatGermanyhaspursuedthepathof
perfectingherindustryfortwentyyears，andhasmadeenormous
sacrificesforthisobject，itwouldbetokenpoliticalblindnessif
Germanywerenow，owingtotheabolitionoftheEnglishcornlaws，
toabstaininanydegreefrompursuinghergreatnationalcareer。
Indeed，wearefirmlyconvincedthatinsuchacaseitwouldbe
necessaryforGermanytoincreaseherprotectivedutiesinthesame
proportioninwhichtheEnglishmanufactorieswouldderive
advantagefromtheabolitionofthecornlawsascomparedwith
thoseofGermany。Germanycanforalongtimefollownoother
policyinrespecttoEnglandthanthatofalessadvanced
manufacturingnationwhichisstrivingwithallherpowertoraise
herselftoanequalpositionwiththemostadvancedmanufacturing
nation。Everyotherpolicyormeasurethanthat，involvesthe
imperillingoftheGermannationality。IftheEnglishareinwant
offoreigncornortimber，thentheymaygetitinGermanyorwhere
elsetheyplease。Germanywillnotonthataccountanytheless
protecttheadvancesinindustrywhichshehasmadeuptothis
time，orstriveanythelesstomakefutureadvances。Ifthe
BritishwillhavenothingtodowithGermangrainandtimber，so
muchthebetter。Inthatcasetheindustry，thenavigation，the
foreigntradeofGermanywillraisetheirheadssomuchthe
quicker，theGermaninternalmeansoftransportwillbesomuchthe
soonercompleted，theGermannationalitywillsomuchthemore
certainlyrestonitsnaturalfoundation。PerhapsPrussiamaynot
inthiswaysosoonbeabletosellthecornandtimberofher
BalticprovincesathighpricesasiftheEnglishmarketswere
suddenlyopenedtoher。Butthroughthecompletionoftheinternal
meansoftransport，andthroughtheinternaldemandfor
agriculturalproducecreatedbythemanufactories，thesalesof
thoseprovincestotheinteriorofGermanywillincreasefast
enough，andeverybenefittotheseprovinceswhichisfoundedon
thehomedemandforagriculturalproducewillbegainedbythemfor
allfuturetime。Theywillnevermorehavetooscillateas
heretoforebetweencalamityandprosperityfromonedecadeto
another。Butfurther，asapoliticalpowerPrussiawillgaina
hundred-foldmoreinconcentratedstrengthintheinteriorof
Germanybythispolicythanthematerialvalueswhichshe
sacrificesforthemomentinhermaritimeprovinces，orrather
investsforrepaymentinthefuture。
TheobjectoftheEnglishministryinthisreportisclearlyto
obtaintheadmissionintoGermanyofordinaryEnglishwoollenand
cottonfabrics，partlythroughtheabolitionoratleast
modificationofchargingdutiesbyweight，partlythroughthe
loweringofthetariff，andpartlybytheadmissionoftheGerman
grainandtimberintotheEnglishmarket。Bythesemeansthefirst
breachcanbemadeintheGermanprotectivesystem。Thesearticles
ofordinaryuseaswehavealreadyshowninaformerchapterare
byfarthemostimportant，theyarethefundamentalelementofthe
nationalindustry。Dutiesoftenpercentadvalorem，whichare
clearlyaimedatbyEngland，would，withtheassistanceofthe
usualtricksofunderdeclarationofvalue，sacrificethegreater
partoftheGermanindustrytoEnglishcompetition，especiallyif
inconsequenceofcommercialcrisestheEnglishmanufacturerswere
sometimesinducedtothrowonthemarkettheirstocksofgoodsat
anyprice。Itisthereforenoexaggerationifwemaintainthatthe
tendencyoftheEnglishproposalsaimsatnothinglessthanthe
overthrowoftheentireGermanprotectivesystem，inorderto
reduceGermanytothepositionofanEnglishagriculturalcolony。
Withthisobjectinviewitisimpressedon。thenoticeofPrussia
howgreatlyheragriculturemightgainbythereductionofthe
Englishcornandtimberduties，andhowunimportanther
manufacturinginterestis。Withthesameview，theprospectis
offeredtoPrussiaofareductionofthedutiesonbrandy。Andin
orderthattheotherstatesmaynotgoquiteemptyawayafiveper
centreductionofthedutiesonN黵embergwares，children\'stoys，
eaudeCologne，andothertrifles，ispromised。Thatgives
satisfactiontothesmallGermanstates，andalsodoesnotcost
much。